Follow Us on Google
Erling Haaland delivered another masterclass as Norway secured a place in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Senegal in a pulsating Group I encounter at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
The Manchester City striker scored twice to inspire Norway to a second consecutive victory, ensuring qualification with a game to spare and confirming the Scandinavian side as one of the early surprise packages of the tournament.
Norway took the lead in the 43rd minute when Marcus Pedersen capitalised on a costly error by Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly to fire his side ahead before the break.
Just three minutes into the second half, Haaland doubled Norway’s advantage after latching onto a perfectly weighted through ball from Martin Ødegaard. The goal also saw him become Norway’s highest-scoring player in World Cup history.
Senegal responded quickly through Ismaila Sarr in the 53rd minute, raising hopes of a comeback. However, Haaland restored Norway’s two-goal cushion five minutes later with a composed finish that struck the crossbar before crossing the line.
Other News
The brace means Haaland has now scored four goals in the tournament and extended his remarkable run to 12 consecutive competitive matches with a goal for Norway.
Senegal refused to surrender and Sarr grabbed his second goal deep into stoppage time to reduce the deficit to 3-2. The Crystal Palace winger nearly rescued a point moments later but headed over the bar with the final chance of the game.
Despite the late scare, Norway held firm to move onto six points and join France in securing qualification from Group I.
The result leaves Senegal without a point after two matches and facing a must-win clash against Iraq in their final group fixture if they are to keep alive hopes of advancing as one of the best third-placed teams.
Norway will now face France in a top-of-the-table showdown on Friday, with both nations battling for first place in Group I ahead of the knockout rounds.
